With no intense northeast monsoon, November was much warmer than usual. The mean minimum temperature was 21.1 degrees, the third highest for the month.

Rain was also scarce, with the 0.4mm recorded the eighth lowest for the month. Total rainfall since January 1 is 1,738.6 mm, 21% below the normal 2,187mm for the period.

The weather was mainly fine with plenty of sunshine on the first 12 days. It turned cloudy with light rain patches on the 13th, as a fresh to strong easterly airstream established itself over south China.

A cold front crossed the south China coast on the 15th and the next several days were cooler with the minimum temperature falling below 20 degrees in the urban areas for the first time that autumn.

The dry northeast monsoon behind the cold front cleared the sky on the 17th, with fine and dry weather prevailing through to the 22nd. It was overcast with rain patches on the 23rd and 24th, and remained cloudy on the 25th.

Discovery Bay hillfire

A major replenishment of the northeast monsoon arrived at the south China coast on the 26th, bringing in cool and dry weather. The minimum temperature fell to the monthly low of 17.8 degrees on the 27th, and the weather turned fine on the 28th.

Fanned by the dry northerlies, a hill fire occurred on Lantau Island on the 26th forced more than 60 people in Discovery Bay to flee their homes. It lasted 40 hours and was finally put out on the morning of the 28th.

Fine and dry weather continued for the rest of the month.